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A Columbus commission’s recommendation against allowing only permit parking on a stretch of a
German Village street might reflect shifting attitudes about how the city restricts parking.

The city’s Transportation and Pedestrian Commission voted unanimously yesterday to turn down a
request to require parking permits after 4 p.m. on a two-block stretch of Kossuth Street.

Paul Carlson, who lives on Kossuth, petitioned the city for the restriction, saying he was
concerned about his 17-year-old daughter’s safety when she couldn’t find a parking space near
home.

Opponents of the restriction said the area is safe and the proposal would only exacerbate
parking problems on nearby streets.

The issue had been tabled at the commission’s meeting last month in hopes that a compromise
could be reached.

“I’m worried about the ripple effect,” said Geoffrey Schmidt, president of Schmidt’s Restaurant
und Sausage Haus in German Village. “It’s a real slippery slope: Before you know it, there’s no
parking anywhere.”

Businesses and residents have been at odds in other city neighborhoods where parking is scarce.
The city is trying to resolve similar disputes in the Short North and Italian Village, where
parking permits far outnumber available spaces.

A working group discussing the Italian Village problems recently recommended that Columbus City
Council place a moratorium on new permit-parking areas or expansions of existing ones,
Transportation Commission member Kevin Wood said.

Wood said he worries that before long, many more residents will want restricted parking on their
streets, resulting in “piecemeal” rules that ultimately might make the problem worse.

Carlson said his request complies with all city regulations, and he’ll continue pursuing the
petition with the city Department of Public Service’s director, who has the final say.

In light of the parking disputes, the city soon might change the way it considers petitions for
parking restrictions to include examining the effect on the larger neighborhood, the department’s
Randy Bowman said.

“This is a classic case of one size does not fit all,” Commissioner Curtis Stitt said.